John Zhang
Here are 7 different types of chopsticks I've seen in the past. Please add your faves to the list so I can discover more. And don't forget to vote for your faves!
The author of "Chopsticks: History of Culture and Culinary", Edward, a historian at Rowan University in New Jersey, said that Ji'an's bamboo has long enjoyed a good reputation. Bamboo has a wide range of applications. It has a long history of making bamboo into chopsticks. A large chopstick production plant.
Broadly speaking, the foundation of Chinese bamboo chopsticks production is profound. The history of bamboo chopsticks can be traced back to the work of Guan Zhong, an ancient thinker, and politician in the 7th century BC.
Chopsticks were called "bamboo" in China before the 20th century. They were written as "箸", "筯", and "櫡". The pronunciation is the same as the bamboo of bamboo, but the tone is different. All of these words indicate that the word "bamboo" has the root of "bamboo", indicating that bamboo has been the main raw material for making chopsticks since ancient times, and bamboo chopsticks are also popular.
In China, chopsticks have great market potential as traditional Chinese food, including reusable chopsticks and disposable chopsticks.
Reports on the Chinese chopsticks industry are often seen in media around the world. An article in the Los Angeles Times stated that there are about 300 workers in 300 factories in China engaged in chopsticks manufacturing;
According to the Japan Times, China is the world's largest producer of disposable chopsticks;
According to the South China Morning Post, the Chinese chopsticks factory produces 80 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks every year;
According to the "Japan Times" report, between 2000 and 2006, China exported a total of 165,000 tons of disposable chopsticks, including 15 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks to Japan and South Korea;
According to The New York Times, 77% of the disposable chopsticks exported by China are shipped to Japan, 21% to South Korea, and 2% to the United States.
According to the statistics of the China Forestry Administration, about 55% of disposable chopsticks are made of bamboo, and the remaining 45% is made of trees such as cotton, birch, and spruce.
Bamboo has its unique advantages as the main raw material for chopsticks. First of all, bamboo has a dense texture and is not porous, so it does not absorb too much water, so it is more antibacterial than chopsticks made from other forest materials, and thus has better durability and increased use time.
Second, the researchers found that bamboo and steel are comparable in terms of tensile strength.
In addition, unlike trees, bamboo grows at an alarming rate and can grow up to 1 meter in height within 24 hours.
The $80 billion market for Chinese chopsticks is inseparable from the support of bamboo, and the "China Speed" embodied in the rapid growth of bamboo to the finished product of chopsticks is even more impressive.
You've probably used Chopsticks at some point in your life,But do you know "how many types of chopsticks"?differences between Chinese,Japanese and Korean chopsticks.
China chopsticks manufacturer & supplier & factory. Export Best Chopsticks Bamboo chopsticks, Wooden Chopsticks Gift Set, Japanese Chopsticks, Chinese Chopsticks, Craft Chopsticks to worldwide. Learn how to use chopsticks, their history, how they’re made.
Chinese Natural Red Sandalwood Chopsticks,red sandalwood has historically been valued in China, Due to its slow growth and rarity, furniture made from Red sandalwood is difficult to find and can be expensive.
BestChopsticks.com offers customizable chopstick sleeves with your restaurant logo or company logo!Custom Chopsticks ,Personalized chopsticks , Anniversary, Bride, Groom...
Are PPS chopsticks harmful to human body? Eating is something we do every day. Chinese people have always used to eat with chopsticks.
Chinese chopsticks, known in ancient times, are a kind of eating utensils invented by the Chinese Han people.
People's attention to Korean food culture has spread widely around the world. The Korean Chopsticks Cultural, as a representative of the food and drink culture, must be the subject of research.
Bamboo chopsticks or wood chopsticks are good, many people think that wood and bamboo are the same. In fact, there is a certain difference between the two.
Is your bamboo chopsticks really clean enough? Perhaps, on some of the wrong details of your daily chopsticks, your chopsticks have been covered with bacteria.
Chinese chopsticks, known in ancient times, are a kind of eating utensils invented by the Chinese Han people.
People's attention to Korean food culture has spread widely around the world. The Korean Chopsticks Cultural, as a representative of the food and drink culture, must be the subject of research.
Before talking about the Japanese chopsticks rules, let's talk about a big taboo for Japanese chopsticks. We traditionally use round tables and even turntables on the table.
The Best Bamboo Steamer Basket (and How To Use It)Chances are you have heard about bamboo steamers. Like many people, you may be unsure of what they actually do
How to Use Bamboo Steamer Basket，You can cook almost anything in a steamer basket, from whole or sliced vegetables to foods like dumplings and fish fillets.
Some Cheap Chopsticks Are Soaked in Toxic Chemicals
Snapping apart those disposable, wooden chopsticks — and hoping that they break evenly without too many splinters — is a familiar ritual before enjoying meals at Asian restaurants.
But sadly, those seemingly innocuous sticks could pose a risk to your health, and they certainly cause environmental harm. Over 25 million mature trees are cut each year just to produce those single-use chopsticks that get tossed shortly after.
Disposable Chopsticks May Contain Industrial Chemicals
Disposable chopsticks are made by boiling them in toxic chemicals. Notice how all throwaway chopsticks are pretty well consistently uniform in grain and color? That doesn't occur easily in nature; acid, bleach, harsh chemicals, and even preservatives are used in the manufacturing process.
Sulfur dioxide is used as a preservative on the wood. In 2005, a Chinese consumer council warned that sulfur dioxide from throwaway chopsticks was connected with an increase in asthma and respiratory problems. Sulfur dioxide is a toxic gas and source of air pollution. Smaller amounts are used in winemaking and preserving dried fruits, but since chopsticks technically aren't supposed to be edible, regulatory restrictions don't apply.
Obviously, when you're making something that is given for free and thrown away after use, quality control isn't a big concern. Many factories produce well over 1 million pairs of chopsticks per day. That's more than 12 pairs per second, 24 hours a day. The washing process is merely the best effort at that speed. The real washing occurs when you plunge those sticks into a hot bowl of pho at your favorite Vietnamese restaurant.
China alone produces an estimated 45 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks — per year. Many of those chopsticks are exported to Western and neighboring Asian countries.
Undoubtedly, chemicals can leach out of the wood during use — particularly if you break one of the primary rules of chopstick etiquette by sucking sauces off of your sticks. Dipping chopsticks into hot liquids such as soups are thought to cause the wood to expand, releasing additional chemicals into food.
Obviously, quality varies; not all disposable chopsticks present a hazard. The Chinese government warned against using low-quality chopsticks without any clear branding that may have been produced by small companies. According to them, the small, unknown operations are the outfits most likely to produce chopsticks from inferior types of wood that needs to be bleached.
The Environmental Cost of Disposable Chopsticks
Wooden chopsticks seem an attractive alternative to plastic, especially considering the way Americans throw away tons of plastic utensils each year. Wooden chopsticks are easily biodegradable and are often produced from bamboo, a wood famous for being easy to replenish.
But there is a catch.
The long-standing myth that disposable chopsticks are produced with scrap wood products just isn't true. In fact, an estimated 25+ million mature trees (each usually over 20 years old) are logged each year just to make chopsticks that are used once and then thrown away.
Demand for cheaply produced chopsticks is just too great. Large swathes of forest are cleared each year — and often replaced with palm oil plantations — to provide timber for the chopstick industry. East Asia simply doesn't have enough wood left. Wood is often imported from Burma, Borneo (one of the last native habitats on earth for orangutans), and Indonesia to fill the demand.
Japan snaps through an estimated 24 billion pairs — around 200 pairs per person — of chopsticks per year. Sushi, what was once a finger food, and sashimi are frequently consumed with wooden chopsticks. Chinese restaurants around the globe hand out disposable chopsticks with every order whether they will be used or not.
Despite a 5 percent tax levied on chopsticks by the Chinese government in 2006, demand has increased.
Is Bamboo Better?
Strong, fast-growing bamboo has been touted as the most environmental option for a variety of applications. From building bicycles and houses to cooking, bamboo works well. You can even eat it.
Unfortunately, when disposable chopsticks are concerned, bamboo was one of the worst offenders at leaching up harmful chemicals. You can test this for yourself: put a pair of disposable chopsticks into water that has been brought to a boil then removed from heat — it quickly takes on a yellowish color. pH testing the water yields a higher acidity once chopsticks have been soaked.
What Can You Do?
The answer is simple: avoid snapping those chopsticks apart whenever possible. Unless necessary, don't take them from restaurants that later will have to order new stock. Not only will you potentially avoid industrial chemicals present in the wood, but you'll also be doing a small part to slow pointless deforestation.
Some travelers have actually begun carrying their own sets of chopsticks when traveling in Asia. Chopsticks are exceptionally easy to wash or wipe after use, and many sets come with an attractive case.
The most environmentally friendly option is to stick with metal chopsticks — Korea's preference in utensils — but they can be quite weighty and slippery to use for beginners. Another option is to invest in a pair of attractive wooden sticks that were sourced properly, get a case, then stick with them. Put a set in the car for times when you've forgotten to bring them from home.
Chinese stars and celebrities are getting behind the effort to curb the practice of tossing chopsticks after one use. Environmentally conscious Japanese diners bring Maebashi — "my chopsticks" rather than using the ones provided.
Reusing chopsticks is an easy, straightforward way to make a difference. Pass the word along — why not give a nice set of reusable chopsticks as a gift to a traveler you know?
Eighty billion pairs of disposable chopsticks are used (and thrown away) annually worldwide. Why have disposable chopsticks become so popular across the globe? They are cheap, lightweight and easy to use, even for those who did not grow up with chopsticks at the family dinner table. The popularity of disposable wooden chopsticks fuels a huge demand not just for the items but for raw materials that go into their making.
In China and Japan, major manufacturers annually harvest more than 20 million trees to collect the raw materials for making disposable chopsticks. If this trend continues, it will accelerate deforestation, which will have environmental consequences across the globe. Therefore, many people with environmental concerns would like to ban the use of disposable chopsticks in favor of reusable chopsticks. Others say that disposable chopsticks are more sanitary and can be manufactured from wood that would otherwise be wasted. As consumer demand for disposable chopsticks continues to grow, so will the debate about their use.
Why Ban Disposable Chopsticks?
Supporters of a ban on disposable wooden chopsticks say it makes good environmental sense to switch to reusable chopsticks. They say that as recently as 2009, Chinese officials estimated that their country alone was producing about 57 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks annually, equal to about 3.8 million trees. Supporters of the ban say that this loss of forest has dire consequences for the entire planet—not just for China and Japan, where most disposable chopsticks are made and used.
Deforestation leads to a worldwide loss of biodiversity, loss of wood as a major resource, erosion of fertile soil, alterations in climate, and an increased potential for massive landslides and severe flooding. In fact, proponents of the ban are quick to point out that the entire ecosystem depends on the vitality of forests everywhere. They argue that it is a travesty when forests are being felled to make disposable chopsticks and other items that are discarded after a single-use. Disposable chopsticks are certainly a convenience, but this convenience comes at a cost.
The growing demand for chopsticks overseas—spurred chopstick manufacturing plants in the United States and the harvesting of domestic forests for raw materials. In late 2010, a chopstick manufacturing company opened in central Georgia. The desire for disposable chopsticks worldwide was so high that they had difficulty keeping up with the demand. Though the company has since shut down, it cleared forests of poplar and sweet gum trees from the region to make the chopsticks. Proponents of a ban say this is a cautionary tale of what could happen on many continents if there is no concerted action to switch to reusable chopsticks.
Proponents of the ban also argue that China, the world’s biggest supplier of disposable wooden chopsticks, is now acknowledging that the business profits are not worth the devastation of our forests. According to Bo Guangxin of China’s Jilin Forestry Industry Group, only 4,000 chopsticks can be created from a 20-year-old tree. At this rate, around 400 million trees would be destroyed in the next 20 years in order to produce disposable chopsticks. Those who argue for the ban say that is imperative to understand that this loss of trees also contributes to global warming.
Another issue raised by people who are calling for a ban on disposable wooden chopsticks involves claims that the utensils may be unsanitarily depending on how and where they are made. Critics say that the standards of production in China are too lax to ensure that wooden chopsticks aren’t harmful to human health.
Why Do Some Oppose a Ban?
Opponents of a ban on disposable wooden chopsticks say that these utensils are more hygienic and that their reusable counterparts pose a risk to human health. They point to the increased use of disposable chopsticks during the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Asian countries when people were worried about the disease spreading due to improper cleaning of reusable chopsticks. While the SARS threat was brought under control by the cooperation of international public health authorities, many consumers who experienced the threat of SARS still argue that it is best to err on the side of caution when human health is concerned. They feel that the best way to ensure that diseases don’t spread via previously used chopsticks is to stick with the disposable variety.
Some opponents of the ban also contend that the restaurant industry would unfairly be burdened with economic setbacks that would eventually work against environmental interests. They say that the reusable chopsticks are cost-prohibitive for restaurants and that the restaurants would then pass on that higher cost to consumers. Disposable chopsticks have also become a convenient and affordable choice for consumers. So, opponents to a ban say that prohibiting their use in the commercial sector would not necessarily affect the market for chopsticks in private homes where regulation would be difficult to enforce. And, even though disposable chopsticks are responsible for deforestation, the utensils are but one small contributor to this problem—agriculture, ranching, commercial logging, and mining industries have much more impact.
In addition, opponents of a chopsticks ban say that disposable wooden chopsticks can even be eco-friendly. For example, Japan’s Eco Media Foundation says that many of the nation’s forests are overgrown, and making disposable chopsticks out of trees that need to be cut down saves forests and leads to a healthier ecosystem. Another argument is simply that people should be free to choose whatever type of chopsticks they prefer.
So, what do you think? Should the world continue to use disposable chopsticks or would it be better to shift to reusable ones? Why or why not?
Over dinner the other night with a group of friends, I was talking about the excessive use of plastic bags in the world. I told them I easily recalled 20 years back, when traveling in Europe, it was just a given that you brought your own bag to the supermarket and shopping with you. Now, plastic bags are everywhere, but I like to re-use them.
Curiously, some vendors have told me I shouldn’t do that because of fewer bactéries.
Which I find even odder considering they don’t think it’s pas hygiénique to rip open a clementine with their teeth, then hand over the sections for customers to taste.
Things are changing in Europe, like everywhere else, but when I told my friends that I used to bring my own chopsticks out to dinner with me in San Francisco, they looked at me like I was nuts.
I didn’t have the statistics in my head at the time but later read that Japan uses 25 billion pairs a year and China uses 45 billion pairs. And other countries go through their fair share as well. But no matter where you live, the fact remains that disposable chopsticks are made by clear-cutting forests for the wood, causing irreparable harm to the environment.
“Do you really think one person bringing their own chopsticks will make a difference?” I was asked.
So I decided that I’m going to bringing my own chopsticks with me when going out to eat again. And I’m posing the question to you: What do you think?
Do you think it’s odd to bring your own chopsticks instead of using the disposable ones?
Does anyone else out their bring their own?
Do you think you might start?
Japanese people eat with chopsticks, and most chopsticks used in Japan are made of wood. Chopsticks are also used in South Korea, North Korea, China, and Viet Nam, while in Southeast Asia they are normally used only for eating noodles.
Japanese food culture and chopsticks are inseparable. Most Japanese people have their own personal pair of lacquered chopsticks at home that is washed and reused like cutlery. However, when we eat out or buy cold boxed rice lunches, we usually use the disposable chopsticks provided and throw them away after use.
Disposable chopsticks are said to be unique to Japan and are thought to have appeared 300 to 400 years ago during the Edo period when buckwheat noodle shopkeepers introduced them for sanitary reasons. Today about 25 billion pairs of these chopsticks are used annually in Japan - about 200 pairs per capita.
Disposable chopsticks have become controversial as a symbol of throwaway culture and a cause of deforestation, and various efforts have been made to deal with these problems. Approaches include;
(1) creating chopsticks that don't damage forests, but in fact, function to protect forests;
(2) recycling used disposable chopsticks into paper and particleboard;
(3) carrying one's own chopsticks to use rather than disposable chopsticks when eating out - the so-called "My Chopsticks" movement.
Disposable Chopsticks Made of Domestic Tree Plantation Thinnings
About 96 percent of the disposable chopsticks consumed in Japan originate in other countries. As imports increased rapidly in the late 1980s, domestic production of disposable chopsticks decreased drastically. Of imported disposable chopsticks, 98 percent are from China, and the rest are from Indonesia, other Southeast Asian countries and Chile in South America.
Domestically produced disposable chopsticks are mainly made of lumber remnants. In the spirit of "mottai-nai," or "waste does want not," these small pieces of wood, which otherwise may be discarded, are turned into products. However, in general, Japanese domestic lumber doesn't sell well under the pressure of cheap foreign lumber, and more and more of its tree plantations are under-maintained or completely abandoned. One result is that floods and mudslides are occurring more frequently, raising concerns about the weakened water-retaining capacity of mountainsides and disaster control. Using small-diameter logs thinned from tree plantations as a raw material for disposable chopsticks would contribute to protecting Japan's steep mountain forests.
Under these circumstances, more and more restaurants have started using domestic chopsticks. One of the first groups to tackle this issue was a non-profit organization, the JUON Network, which worked to promote the use of disposable chopsticks from domestic plantation thinnings. This network was established by an alliance of university co-ops and encourages co-op stores and cafeterias at universities to adopt chopsticks made of local thinnings. The chopsticks are manufactured by people living at facilities for the mentally retarded, one in Tokushima prefecture, SELP Hashikura (SELP standing for Support for Employment, Living and Participation), and another in Saitama prefecture, Konan Ai-no-Ie. The network consists of about 70 universities and consumed 7.5 million pairs of these chopsticks in 2005. Although they are more expensive than chopsticks made in China, the number of participating universities is increasing due to their progressive image of helping protect forests and create jobs for the disabled.
As those of us with a knack for making frequent Chinese takeout orders can attest, surplus stock of disposable chopsticks can pile up in no time, getting bigger and bigger with each new order of Kung Pao chicken. Luckily, these useful wooden utensils have far wider potential beyond lifting noodles and sharing orders of Crab Rangoon.
Whether you’re in need of an extra kitchen tool, a handy cleaning device, or a random household helper, these creative uses for disposable chopsticks will help you use up that excess chopstick pile in no time—and feel a little less guilty about your delivery habits in the process.
Watch: What To Do with Herb Stems
Pitting Cherries
No cherry pitter, no problem. Whether you’re making a pie or eating them straight from the bag, a chopstick can help you quickly get rid of that hard seed. Simply push a chopstick through the stem end of a cherry and the pit will pop out like magic.
Stirring Dishes and Drinks
Chopsticks make for an incredibly versatile kitchen tool and can be used to stir pots of food on the stove, mix drinks, whisk eggs for scrambling, and more. The main benefit of using disposable chopsticks for these everyday tasks is the ability to toss your cooking tool when you’re finished, cutting down on the number of dishes you have to do at the end of the meal.
Toasting Marshmallows
While roasting marshmallows over a campfire will likely require a slightly sturdier toasting contraption if you’re in the mood for s’ mores at home look no further than chopsticks. Simply skewer your marshmallows with the sharp end of the chopstick and hold them over a low flame, like a grill or stovetop, until toasted to perfection.
Leveling off Ingredients
When measuring cups of flour, sugar, and other powdery ingredients for baking and cooking, chopsticks are the perfect flat-edge tool for leveling off the top of the measuring cup with complete precision.
Labeling Plants
Whether you’re planting an outdoor garden or tending to some indoor foliage, chopsticks can help to keep your plants organized and healthy. Staple or glue the dull end of a chopstick to your seed packets and stick it in the dirt to keep track of where each plant is growing in your garden. Or, make a plant care instruction card to stick into your indoor planter, so that you or your plant sitter can keep track of the watering schedule for each pot.
Making Popsicles
Rather than making a trip to the store for popsicle sticks, make one of our favorite popsicle recipes with chopsticks instead. You can also opt to cut the chopsticks in half to double your popsicle stick yield.
Cleaning Narrow Spaces
For hard-to-reach crevices, from air vents to the spaces between your keyboard keys, chopsticks can be the perfect cleaning assistant. Simply wrap a cleaning cloth around the top of the chopstick and use the narrow stick to remove dust, dirt, and grime from any tricky space.
Propping Up Seedlings
As plants grow upward, they need some kind of support to cling to. Chopsticks can act as the perfect garden stake for small plants and seedlings as they first begin to grow. Simply dig one into the dirt next to your growing greenery and let your plant instinctively do the rest.
Freezing Individual Portions of Meat
When freezing and defrosting ground meat, it can be frustrating to have to cook an entire package at a time even when cooking for one or two. Luckily, a chopstick can help you fix this common kitchen problem. Simply place your ground meat in a freezer-proof plastic bag and use the chopstick to indent a crosshatch pattern into your meat, dividing it into either four or nine individually sized pieces. The next time you need to cook a small portion of ground meat, simply pop out as many pieces as you need and seal the rest back in the bag.
Drying Dishes Without a Rack
If you’re running low on space on your dish rack, chopsticks can act as a great temporary rack in a pinch. Simply rest your plate or bowl on two chopsticks, which will keep it lifted away from the counter to dry most effectively.
Stirring Paint
If you’re mixing up a fresh can of paint but forgot to grab stir sticks from the hardware store, chopsticks are the perfect substitution for this messy home task.
Making BBQ Skewers
It’s easy to recreate a classic grilled skewer recipe with your leftover chopsticks. For the best result, soak your chopsticks in water for 15 minutes prior to skewering your meats and vegetables and adding them to the grill.
Cleaning Shoes
Decrease the amount of dirt and mud being tracked into the house by keeping a set of chopsticks readily available by the door. The sharp, narrow end is the perfect tool for scraping dirt out of the crevices of shoes before they’re brought into your home.
Unclogging Bottle Tips
The shape of disposable chopsticks also makes them perfect for unclogging the tips of bottles— from glue, to caulk, to condiments—that need a little clearing out before their next use.
Starting a Fire
Wooden chopsticks work perfectly well as kindling for indoor fireplaces or small outdoor fire pits. This technique will work best if you’ve accumulated a number of extra chopsticks to increase your burning potential.
Making DIY Knitting Needles
In a pinch, chopsticks can be used as a replacement to standard knitting needles. So, if you’ve misplaced yours around the house or need to find a temporary replacement, just open up a sleeve of chopsticks and get to knitting.
Xi'an - Disposable wooden chopsticks will be banned starting Dec 1 in restaurants in Shaanxi province, according to a Circular Economy Promotion Regulation.
The law is the first at the provincial level to promote the development of a circular economy. It is to have an influence on government policies, on the specific duties of State organs, enterprises and institutions, on efforts to conserve natural resources and on what is considered a reasonable rate of consumption for every family and person, according to Zhang Maizeng, vice-chairman of the standing committee of the provincial people's congress.
The regulation prohibits the use of disposable wooden chopsticks on the grounds that making them waste forest resources. Food and beverage businesses will not be allowed to provide the utensils to customers from Dec 1 onward.
Those who violate the regulation will be given a short amount of time to mend their ways. If they do not, they will be punished.
"Food and beverage companies that break the rules will be fined from 500 yuan to 2,000 yuan ($80 to 320) and people who run small restaurants will be fined from 50 yuan to 200 yuan if they provide disposable chopsticks," the regulation says.
Zheng Mingju, a white-collar worker at a software-industrial park in Xi'an, capital of the province, said he welcomes the regulation. But he said the rule raises doubts about sanitation in small restaurants.
"My colleagues and I have our lunch in the small and cheap restaurants around our company because we only have an hour for lunch and want to save money," Zheng said. "We have used disposable chopsticks, mostly because we didn't think restaurants would thoroughly disinfect reusable chopsticks."
China Daily visited several small restaurants in Xi'an at lunchtime on Tuesday and found they were offering customers disposable chopsticks.
The operator of one small restaurant, who declined to state his full name, said more than 100 pairs of disposable chopsticks are used there every day. He likes the chopsticks because nobody ever has to wash them, which lowers his labor costs.
"I bought 100 pairs of disposable chopsticks for less than 3 yuan," Jin said. "There's no need to pay anyone to wash them."
In another restaurant, China Daily found a disinfecting machine. The owner there, who also declined to provide his full name, said he only bought it to pass a health check.
"It would cost me at least 200 yuan a month for electricity if I operated it every day," said the owner. "I like to use disposable chopsticks, which cost less."
Disposable chopsticks are often sold in Xi'an markets for light industrial products. One of them had 2,000 pairs of the utensils for sale for 55 yuan.
According to Liu Ye'an, deputy director of the Xi'an health bureau's health inspection office, his team hopes to eliminate the use of disposable chopsticks by becoming a stricter supervisor.
On April 12, 2004, the provincial forest bureau and industrial and commercial bureau issued a document prohibiting the production, sale, and use of disposable chopsticks. However, they continued to appear in markets and restaurants.
"I hope the new regulation will ban disposable chopsticks," said Zheng, the white-collar worker. "I plan to make my own chopsticks with me when I have lunch in small restaurants, both to protect my health and to prevent the waste of forest resources."
We normally unwrap takeout chopsticks, eat with them and dispose of them without much thought. Recently, though, there has been a small wave of transnational activism aimed at reducing the use of disposable chopsticks stateside and in Asia; chopsticks, activists say, are contributing to heavy deforestation in China.
The approach of groups like Greenpeace East Asia has been to encourage individuals to carry reusable chopsticks, and the New York Times reports that many restaurants in Asia and in America are no longer popping disposable chopsticks into every takeout bag. Given that your local sushi place may not have jumped on the conservation bandwagon yet, I'd like to help you at least get extra use out of disposable chopsticks. Here are 50 ways you can reuse those takeout chopsticks.
Uses for Disposable Chopsticks in the Kitchen
Use them to stir while cooking.
Mix your drinks with them. (I found this idea on DIY Life.)
Reuse as sticks for homemade Popsicles. (This one also came from DIY Life.)
I use one to agitate the slurry when making coffee in a French press.
Dry plastic bags on them. Stick them in a jar and hang the bags of them. I did this when I lived on an off-the-grid property where we were very careful about trash, and also when I lived in a cooperative house. The coop actually had a piece of wood mounted to the kitchen wall with chopsticks sticking out of it for bags to dry on. There's green street cred right there.
Use them to stack plates on when you run out of space in the dish drainer. As in, you want to raise the dish you are drying off the countertop.
Level off measured dry ingredients like flour when baking ... with a chopstick. My mom has done this forever. She also saves Popsicle sticks for this purpose.
Toast marshmallows. (Idea found on This Old House.)
Use them to clean hard-to-reach spaces. (Idea found on This Old House.)
Pit cherries with one. (Thank you to Apartment Therapy for this one.)
I whisk eggs with them.
Freeze individual portions in freezer bags with the help of a chopstick.
Use chopsticks to turn meat or tofu when grilling.
Uses for Disposable Chopsticks around the House
Prop open a window with a couple of chopsticks.
Push viscous material out of a funnel with a chopstick.
Place chopsticks in a jar and air dry wet mittens or socks on them.Thanks to my mother for this great idea.
Use them to stir paint.
Kindle your fireplace with them.
Use them to loft frames or boards when doing painting projects. (I found this idea on Project Palermo.)
Unclog bottle tips. (Thanks again to This Old House.)
Clean dirt out of the crevices of shoes. (Ditto.)
Clean up mastic when grouting tiles. (Ditto.)
Mark potted plants with care instructions. (Only the ever-fabulous Martha Stewart could create instructions for this one.)
Use them to clean electronic devices. (This idea came from Apartment Therapy.)
Use chopsticks as shims for wobbly tables.
Make a doorstop in 30 seconds. (Thanks to Curbly for this idea.)
Make attractive stakes for potted orchids. (Martha. Who else?)
Fill a stripped screw hole. (Idea found on This Old House.) This can also be done with toothpicks.
Crafts You Can Make with Disposable Chopsticks
Stick them in your hair to hold up a bun.
Build an iPad stand.
Make a placemat or table runner.
Make coasters. (Found on Curbly.)
Make a retro-style clock.
Make an Ikea-hack pendant lamp.
Play pick-up sticks. (Thanks to Planet Green for this archaic but cute idea.)
Use them as knitting needles. (Tutorial found in the Craftster forum.)
Make an eco-bird feeder.
Create 4th of July "sparklers" or magic wands. (Thanks to Merriment Designs for this idea.)
Build furniture with your used chopsticks.
Make a DIY scented oil diffuser. Just sub chopsticks for the craft skewers.
DIY a hanging sachet for your closet. (I'll give you one guess who published this idea. It starts with an "M".)
If you live in San Francisco, you can donate them to the Waribashi Project to be upcycled into art.
Make a rubber band gun. (I found this idea on Instructables.)
Build a crossbow. (Instructions can be found on Storm the Castle.)
Chopsticks are part of the process of making custom clay gift tags.
Win an egg drop contest.
Greenpeace created a forest of trees made from chopsticks. I suppose you could also sculpt with them.
Build a stool made from a bamboo steamer and used chopsticks.
Make a lampshade. (Thanks to How Joyful for instructions for this project.)
Replace dowel rods in projects like mobiles with a bunch of chopsticks tied together in the middle.
For home improvement projects you don't want to DIY, find a reliable, licensed contractor.
Reference:
https://www.networx.com/article/50-uses-for-disposable-chopsticks
Are you a fan of Asian cuisine? If so, you are probably using a chopstick set (or at least you want to do so)!
Whether you want to know more about the differences in the sticks coming from China, Japan, and Korea or you find it more important what material they are made of – metal, bamboo or plastic – we got you covered! Here you will find the best chopsticks currently for sale online.
What do you need to know before you buy chopsticks?
Chopsticks are kitchen and eating utensils used to pick up pieces of food. First invented by the Chinese during the Zhou Dynasty, they have spread in all East Asian countries and nowadays there are used across the globe by people from all countries, which want to enjoy some delicious Asian food with them.
There is no single set that has been accepted as the best chopsticks out there, but there are plenty of options to choose from. Their prices, authenticity, quality, and purpose vary, but we will explain to you everything in detail. First, let us show you why it matters which country your sticks come from!
Authentic chopsticks by country of origin
Chopsticks are used in many parts of the world. While principles of how they look like a kind of similar, there are some differences from region to region.
Japan
The Japanese chopsticks that are 12 to 16 inches and called “ryoribashi” are used for cooking deep frying foods. The ones that are 9 inches long are the real chopsticks that are used for eating. It is common for Japanese sticks to be shorter for women and children. Usually, the chopsticks in Japan have circumferential grooves at the eating end that makes food stop slipping.
By tradition chopstick sets from Japan are made of wood or bamboo. They are also usually lacquered for decoration and waterproofing purposes. Other production materials include plastic, bone, metal, ivory, jade or porcelain. For the people that prefer luxury, the metal chopstick pairs are considered the perfect gift.
Korea
Korean chopsticks of medium-length with a small, flat rectangular shape are paired with a spoon made of the same material. The set is called Sujeo and is used in traditional eating. They are usually made out of flat rust-proof stainless steel and come really handy for hot pot and daily meal use.
Many chopsticks from Korea are ornately decorated at the grip. In the past, materials for Sujeo varied with social class – one could find sets made of gold, silver, cloisonné and so on, but common people used wooden Sujeo. Nowadays, sujeo is usually made of stainless steel. Most Koreans use the chopsticks for side dishes and the spoon for rice and soup.
China
Chinese chopsticks are traditionally 11 inches long and lightweight. They are non-slippery and easy to hold any Chinese food, salad, hot pot, other East Asian cuisines, sushi, noodle soup, BBQ, Pho, etc. Sticks made in China have gained a great reputation and are sold all over the world becoming one of the signs of the Chinese world heritage.
In the traditional culture of China, authentic chopsticks are primary tableware and they also reflect of manners and education of the people using them. With squared or rounded sides and ending in either wide, blunt, flat tips or tapered pointed tips. Blunt tips are more common with plastic or melamine varieties whereas pointed tips are more common in wood and bamboo varieties.
Vietnam
Vietnamese chopsticks are used as often as a fork, knife, and spoon are. There is a great mixture of Western-style and East Asian dishes and some of them such as rice or noodles are eaten with sticks, which are similar to the ones originating from China.
Thailand
Thai chopsticks are actually only used for noodles or other dishes with Chinese origin. That is why the chopsticks look a lot like the typical Chinese ones – rather long, simplistic and wooden. However, Thai people use a combination of spoon and fork for most of their dishes and Westerners sometimes get surprised when served with these in a restaurant and not with sticks.
The different types of chopsticks by the material used
There are plenty of materials used when making different chopstick types. Price, quality, culture, and intention of the purchase (whether it is a gift or not, whether it is a luxurious collector's item or just a standard set for eating). The most common materials are metal, plastic or wood, but let`s dive in each of these in more detail.
Metal
The metal chopsticks are usually rugged, square hollow, and have a non-slip texture with the tip of a chopstick that makes it easier to pick up food. They range between 9 and 10 inches.
Because metals are easily cleaned, these sticks are environmentally friendly and could be cleaned in a dishwasher. They are corrosion resistant to various acids found in meats, milk, fruits, and vegetables. Most importantly though, stainless steel, which is the most commonly used metal, has no chemicals that could get into your food.
Silver
Lightweight and heat insulated, the silver chopsticks are actually made of stainless steel but have a silver finishing which makes them look more elegant. They are also eco-friendly and durable and have a polished texture with smooth touch feeling. If you would like to have real silver chopsticks (as with the precious metal silver), be prepared to pay a substantial fee as they are not produced in great quality and the price of silver is quite higher compared to stainless steel.
Wooden
The wooden chopsticks are usually made of hardwood such as boxwood, chestnut wood, ebony wood, and either ironwood or padauk wood and they are much more durable than bamboo. Hardwood has no splinter and it is lightweight, durable and dense, it won’t swell or absorb water. Hand washes recommended.
Very handy when you have sushi, noodles, BBQ or any type of Asian cuisine, wooden chopstick sets are ideal for any Asian-style dinner party and a Sushi night. Some of them are varnished with natural lacquer from the lacquer tree.
The thermal conductivity of wooden chopsticks is considerably lower than that of metal chopsticks so using wooden chopsticks is preferable when having hot meals like noodle soup.
Plastic
Plastic chopsticks are probably the most widespread reusable chopsticks for sale on the market. There is a great variety of these in the different price segments.
The chopsticks made of plastic should be break-resistant and durable. The material is dishwasher safe and will not melt or chip away easily. However please be careful with that when using plastic chopsticks from the lower price segment as they might have issues.
Recently plastic has been used to create merchandise such as Star Wars-themed lightsaber chopsticks.
Bamboo
The disposable chopsticks are usually made from natural bamboo inside their own paper sleeve. The sticks are 8 to 9 inches long and as a one-time use product, this product helps to reduce the time it takes to clean up after meals. Smaller package quantities are perfect for enjoying take-out or home-cooked meals. A full case of 1000 pairs is ideal for large events, caterers, restaurants, and more!
The bamboo chopsticks are biodegradable and they can be thrown out with the regular food rubbish. Bamboo products are considered better for the environment than wood. Bamboo is a grass and does not need to be replanted after each harvest. It also has greater tensile strength than wood and is less likely to splinter and leave uncomfortable shreds in the mouth.
Others
Chopstick sets can be made of plenty of materials. Some of the not so common include:
The jade in the Jade chopsticks could be mined anywhere, but then they are hand-carved in China. Every piece of jade is different, each carving will have small variations, but will be of the same quality for a specific product line. They are relatively expensive and are a great gift and collector’s item.
Usually produced in Jingdezhen (the capital of porcelain in China), porcelain chopsticks are common for a gift set that includes one or two beautiful white pairs with blue or red pictures. They come with porcelain rests as well and although they could be used as standard chopstick sets, they are better stored by hobby collectors.
Training chopsticks for kids and adults
Are you tired of being the only person on the table with the fork? Do you love sushi, but can’t handle the chopsticks? Or would you like to see your child eat Asian food like a pro?
Then there are plenty of easy-to-use chopsticks available online that are suitable for you. By learning to use them, you can create a cultural dining experience that the whole family could enjoy. From kids to adults, everyone can have great fun eating with а set of learning chopsticks.
Every parent would be proud of seeing its child handle Asian food like a local. That is why there are a few brands that offer children's chopsticks for training purposes. They might look like a toy, but in reality, they are the perfect instrument for learning how to eat with chopsticks for all levels of users.
Little hands can easily control them while developing fine motor skills, which makes the whole process look like a child game. It is easy and fun and depending on the brand and model, the training chopsticks can be used with left and right hand. Usually, the tips of the sticks are scored, which makes picking up the food easier. That is a great advantage for kids that use chopsticks for beginners.
Learning chopsticks for adults
Although mostly used by kids, there are lots of training chopsticks on the market that adults can also choose from. The beginners who want to take food using chopsticks with no difficulty will be pleasantly surprised that they can learn how to use them very fast with a pair of the right ones. Once you are confident in using the training ones, you can always switch to regular ones and impress your friends and family.
In order to enjoy your favorite Asian meal in style, get yourself the right chopsticks and start practicing. Fans of the Korean, Chinese or Japanese cuisine will add an element of fun to the dining experience. If you have already mastered using them, they are also a great gift idea for anyone that wants to learn the chopsticks technique!
Custom chopsticks sets
There are custom chopsticks set for sale that are very stylish and practical. People who prepare for weddings or other special occasions might find these personalized and unique gifts depending on the interests of the recipient. The sticks usually come along with one rest and they are placed in a carry case for a graceful and outstanding presentation.
The handle area of the personalized chopsticks can be engraved with laser and painted with custom names, initials, dates, messages or even logos sometimes. The sellers usually contact the buyers via email to get the specific personalized engraving request.
If you really want to make high-end luxurious gifts, few companies on the market offer designer chopsticks, which are associated with a higher price. However, the visual appeal is a lot more attractive and such gifts are really well received especially by Asian people.
Reference:
The other day I was having lunch at one of the Asian-fusion restaurants in Zürich with a (non-Asian) friend. At one point, he speared a piece of chicken with one chopstick, brought it to his mouth and pried it off with his teeth. I must have a strange expression on my face because he looked at me and asked me what was wrong.
Of course, he did not know that in Japan, what he just did would be considered to be terribly rude, in the same way, that someone who didn't grow up in Europe might not know about not putting your elbows on the table. I explained this to him, and he sort of snorted and said: "well why don't you write a guide to chopstick manners on your site then!"
So, here it is a guide to chopstick etiquette, Japanese style.
Chopstick etiquette level 1: The things you absolutely must not do
Breaking these rules is considered to be really bad.
Do not stick your chopsticks upright in your rice.
This is an absolute no-no because it's the way a bowl of rice is offered to the spirit of a dead person, at their deathbed or in front of their photograph on the household Buddhist altar.
Do not leave your chopsticks crossed on your plate or bowl, or the table.
This is for a similar reason to the above. I sometimes see chopsticks presented like this in food photos styled by non-Asians, and while I understand that it doesn't matter if your primary audience is not Asian, it still makes me cringe. If you must have chopsticks in your photo, keep them neatly together to stop your Asian viewers from wincing.
It's also not considered to be a very good form to cross the working ends of your chopsticks while eating, but that can't be avoided sometimes depending on your level of chopstick dexterity.
(See below under Level 3 for how to put your chopsticks down.)
Do not use one chopstick at a time, especially not to spear food.
Chopsticks are always used together as if they are attached to each other invisibly. Think of them as tweezers or tongs, not a pair of skewers.
Do not pass food from chopstick to chopstick.
This is verboten because, when a person dies and is cremated, their bones are passed from chopstick to chopstick as a part of the Buddhist funeral ritual. (I remember doing this when my grandfather died.) You should also not pick one piece of food with two pairs of chopsticks (held by two people).
Do not use unmatched chopsticks.
This not only looks funny, but it also is reminiscent of some funeral rites. (If you haven't gotten the message yet, basically anything connected to funerals or death is considered you know, unlucky.)
Do not leave your chopsticks in your mouth while you do something else with your hands, like pick up plates or bowls.
This is also rather dangerous, should you slip and land face-down.
Do not wash your chopsticks off in your soup or in your beverage.
Rinsing bits of food off your chopsticks in your soup, or worse yet your water or tea (!) is very icky and just not done.
Do not use your chopsticks as toys, or pretend they are drumsticks and pound the table with them, or stick them in your mouth and pretend you are a funny vampire or stick them up to your nose.
Well, just in case.
Do not use chopsticks as hair accessories
(As suggested by Yong) I know some chopsticks are very pretty. I know that you see photos of kimono-clad maiko-san in Kyoto with pretty chopstick-like sticks in their hair. They are not chopsticks. They are hair ornaments called kanzashi. Chopsticks are for food. You would look silly with a beautiful fork stuck in your hair, yes?
Chopstick etiquette level 2: The things that you shouldn't do
These rules may not get a gasp out of your fellow Japanese diners, but they may frown a bit.
Do not rub your waribashi together.
Waribashi (割り箸） are those wooden chopsticks that you need to break apart. Some people rub them together as a matter of course, but this is only even needed if the chopsticks are so cheap that they are splintery. Doing this with good quality waribashi indicates that you think they are cheap, and therefore is an insult. (You may already know this rule - it's the one that's cited the most. I see a lot of people still doing this though.)
Do not suck on your chopsticks.
Your chopsticks are supposed to delicately convey your food to your mouth. Sucking or nibbling on them is not very polite.
Do not spear your food, even with both chopsticks.
Spearing with one chopstick is really bad, but even with two together it's not considered very polite. Spearing food is bad, period.
Do not shovel food directly from your rice bowl into your mouth.
You are supposed to pick your rice bowl or your miso soup bowl up in one hand and eat with your chopsticks on the other hand. You can bring your soup bowl right up to your mouth and sip. However, you are not supposed to do the same with your rice bowl; you should pick up your rice in morsels (Japanese rice is sticky enough to allow this) and bring it up to your mouth, using the bowl judiciously to catch any drips.
As for other plates or bowls, those are never picked up. Pick the food up from them with your chopsticks, then if necessary put it in your rice bowl - but ideally, you should put it on a supplied plate of your own (a 取り皿, torizara, meaning 'plate to take things onto) or directly in your mouth. (Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, such as raw-egg rice.)
Do not take food from a communal plate with your own chopsticks.
If you are served family-style, don't use your own chopsticks if at all possible to pick up food directly from it. This is considered to be unsanitary. You should use the supplied serving utensils. If there are no serving utensils though, you should turn your chopsticks the other way and use the fat or unused ends to pick up the food. (Though I don't know about the sanitary-ness of touching the used business end of the chopsticks in your grubby hands...)
And since so many people asked, "What about shabushabu, sukiyaki, etc?: These are all informal meals that are meant to be shared with the family or group all dipping into the same pot. So of course, the rules are going to be more relaxed. Now if you are in a more formal meal situation, and there is, for example, a communal plate of sashimi or something, you should first watch what others are doing, but if in doubt, flip your chopsticks around.
(Let us put this into Western meal terms. Rules are different for a meal at TGIFriday's vs. a formal dinner. The rules in this and the last level are for more formal occasions. I hope that makes it clearer!)
If you are serving other people (not yourself) from a communal dish, the basic rule is to flip your chopsticks around unless you know that person very well.
Do not let your chopsticks wander around.
Hovering your chopsticks from food to food or dish to dish, while you ponder what you are going to pick up, is considered to be rather off-putting.
Don't point at people or things with your chopsticks.
This is considered to be somewhat ruder than pointing with one's fingers.
Chopstick etiquette level 3: True chopstick refinement
In reality, I see Japanese people doing these things all the time. But if you can manage to master these rules, you are a truly refined chopstick user.
If you are supplied with Hashi Oki (chopstick rests), use them.
Hashi-oki （箸置き）or chopstick rests are little ceramic objects that you are supposed to rest the ends of your chopsticks when you put them down. If your place setting is supplied with them, use them instead of a plate or bowl when you put down your chopsticks. If you have waribashi, you can make a little impromptu chopstick rest out of the bag.
But if there are no chopstick rests, it's ok to put your chopsticks down on your bowl. Just be sure to keep them together, not crossed (see above).
Don't let liquids drip from your chopsticks.
Unsightly, and you could soil the table (or your clothes, etc.)
Don't stir your food around with your chopsticks.
This is considered to be rather insulting to the cook, not to mention...unsightly! If you are ever invited to a formal multicourse Japanese feast, you might want to remember this. On the other hand, if you are eating natto Gohan or something though it's different.
So there you have it. As I wrote at the top, in mind that these are Japanese etiquette rules; the rules may differ in other Asian countries.
If you grew up using chopsticks, how do they compared to the rules you were taught?
Reference:
https://justhungry.com/your-guide-better-chopstick-etiquette-mostly-japanese
A great gift or statement pieces to impress your dinner guests
Best Overall: Goldage Fiberglass Dishwasher-safe Chopsticks
Made from food-safe fiberglass, these chopsticks are dishwasher safe and can handle heat up to 356 degrees, so you can even use them to retrieve food from hot oil. They won’t bend, melt, or splinter, and they’ll last longer than wooden implements. The black color and silver decorative writing also gives them a sleek, chic look.
These chopsticks have round tips for ease of use and a square body so they won’t roll when you set them down. Though they are dishwasher safe, make sure they are securely placed in your utensil basket to prevent them from getting damaged by your dishwasher nozzles. The chopsticks come in a set of five pairs.
Best Bamboo: Totally Bamboo Twist Reusable Bamboo Chopsticks
Bamboo is both lightweight and strong, making it the perfect material for chopsticks. These chopsticks have a gently twisted body that's designed to look cool and give users a better grip. While bamboo is durable, these chopsticks should not be placed in the dishwasher or left to soak in the liquid. Instead, give them a quick clean with soap and a sponge and let them air dry.
Read more reviews of the best works available to purchase online.
Best Wooden: HuaLan Japanese Natural Wood Classic Style Chopstick Set
This set of chopsticks includes five pairs, each made a different type of wood: rosewood, ebony, boxwood, chestnut, and cherry. Each pair has a distinctive color, making them great for family use or fun at a dinner party. The bodies of these chopsticks have gentle bumps and grooves that users say make them easier to hold than smooth chopsticks. They have a natural, food-safe lacquer coating that prevents the wood from staining, and they come in a storage box that would look beautiful as a gift, as well.
Want to take a look at some other options? See our guide to the best bento boxes.
Best Design: Stainless Steel Chopsticks Set
With this set of chopsticks, you’ll never need to worry about warping, splintering, or staining. While wooden chopsticks might be more familiar, metal chopsticks are popular in Korea, where steel chopsticks have given way to stainless steel, which is easier to keep clean.
These chopsticks are designed to be perfectly balanced in use, making them comfortable to hold while you're eating. They’re also very easy to clean, but it is recommended that you hand wash them. This set comes with five pairs of chopsticks, so you’ll have plenty for family dinners.
Best for Beginners: Senior ICare Adult Chopstick Helpers Training Chopsticks
This pair of chopsticks comes with a hinged helping device that keeps the chopsticks together for easy use, without looking as whimsical as children’s cartoon-like training chopsticks. You can slide the helper up or down to adjust the length of the chopsticks for the most comfortable position for you. This helper is great for people who are just learning how to eat with chopsticks, or for folks with arthritis or poor dexterity.
The chopsticks remove easily from the helper, so you can use your favorite chopsticks at home or even tuck the helper into your pocket so you can use them at a restaurant with the chopsticks you’re given. The helper is dishwasher safe, but the included chopsticks are not.
Best for Ramen: Japanese Dinnerware Ceramic Ramen Udon Noodle Bowl Set
If ramen or other noodles are on the menu, why not eat in style with this pretty set of ramen bowls and chopsticks? The bowls have a notch in the rim and a hole on the side of the bowl to neatly hold the chopsticks. Not only is this much neater than setting your chopsticks on the table, but you can also avoid the bad luck associated with stabbing the chopsticks into your noodles or rice.
The bowls are made from sturdy ceramic and come in several different patterns, and the chopsticks are made from bamboo with a black finish. This set includes two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks.
Best for Travel: Fire-maple Camping Backpacking Red Sandalwood Portable Chopsticks
Great for camping or travel, these chopsticks come apart for compact storage, so you can tuck them in with other small items or store them in the included pouch. The chopsticks are made from rosewood with a brass screw connection that stays secure when you're eating and unscrews easily when it’s time to pack up. The pouch has a snap closure and a carabiner clip to hang it from a belt or backpack.
Interested in reading more reviews? Take a look at our selection of the best Korean cookbooks.
Best for Families: HuaLan Fiberglass Alloy Chopsticks Series Japanese Luxury Chopsticks
Each of the five pairs of chopsticks in this set has a colored top, so every family member can have their own personal pair. These chopsticks are made from food-safe fiberglass that won’t stain or degrade, and the upper portion has a twisted design to make them easy to hold.
The chopsticks are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning and can handle heat up to 400 degrees, so you can even use them to retrieve fried foods from hot oil. When washing these in the dishwasher, make sure they won’t fall through the basket where they could be damaged by the dishwasher.
Check out our guide to the best dim sum cookbooks you can buy today.
Best for Kids: Petty Edison Training Chopsticks for Children
The colorful character on top of these chopsticks makes them fun for kids to use and acts as a hinge to hold the sticks together. Rings on the sticks help keep little fingers in a good position for eating and help train kids how to hold chopsticks so they’ll be ready to graduate to the real deal in no time.
The rings are made from soft silicone, and the chopsticks are plastic, so they’re dishwasher safe for easy cleaning when dinner is done. Parents say that their kids were able to use these proficiently on the first try. Because of the location of the loops, these are for right-handed use only.
Best Disposable: Royal Premium Disposable Bamboo Chopsticks
Whether you’re taking them to a picnic, you need a whole lot of chopsticks for a large party, or you’ve got a craft project in mind, this set of 100 pairs of chopsticks is a very affordable option. Each pair comes in a separate sleeve that includes simple instructions on the back describing how to use chopsticks, so it's a great reminder for folks who don’t use them often.
The chopsticks are separated, rather than joined at the top, so there’s no need to break them apart and risk splinters. They’re made from bamboo, which makes them sturdy to use and biodegradable when you're finished with them.
Reference:
